This invention relates generally to equipment for handling wire-carrying spools, and more particularly to specialized devices of the type adapted to facilitate both handling and filling of such spools.
Until recently, most of the wire-carrying spools that were in use were of a type having cental openings along their axes, such that suitable spindles could be received in the openings, and the spools rotatably driven by the spindle. An example of such a spool is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,704. Another spool of this type is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,647.
A newer type of spool is shown in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,289, and applicant's co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 126,065, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,371. The constructions shown in the latter two specifications differ considerably from those of the first-mentioned patents in that in place of the central, axial opening, there was a single tie bolt which held the conical end flanges together, and maintained the central cylindrical body under continual compression. The reasoning for producing a spool having such a configuration resided in the fact that such a construction was considerably simpler than the spools previously known, many of which were constituted as multiple parts of sheet metal that were welded together. In addition, spools of the type having the single tie bolt could be readily disassembled, and conical end flanges nested with one another, for storage. Also, by including different sized cylindrical bodies, the capacity of a particular spool could be changed in order to accept greater or lesser quantities of wire. Other advantages of these constructions are outlined in the respective cases, U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,289 and U.S. Ser. No. 126,065, and accordingly need not be repeated.
These spools in many cases tended to be physically large, and heavy when filled with wire. It was found that a convenient means for lifting them was to provide an eye at the one end of the tie bolt, this eye being disposed generally at the axis of the spool, thus simplifying the lifting and handling of the same.
Naturally, however, spools of this type did not have the central axial bore that was required in order to receive a power-driven spindle. Thus, filling spools of this type with wire represented somewhat of a difficulty in that the conventional wire-handling equipment could not be readily employed. Accordingly other alternatives had to be found.
Where relatively large spools weighing hundreds of pounds were being employed, it was awkward or impossible for the operator to manually lift or position such units, and alternate arrangements for processing these spools had to be devised.